2023 Belgorod accidental bombing
Part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
CCTV footage of the explosion
TypeAccidental friendly fire incident
Location
Intersection of Vatutina Avenue and Gubkina Street,[1] Belgorod, Belgorod Oblast, Russia

50°34′06″N 36°35′05″E / 50.5682°N 36.5847°E / 50.5682; 36.5847
Date20 April 2023
22:15 (MSK, UTC+3)
Casualties3 civilians injured

On the evening of 20 April 2023, a Russian Su-34 strike fighter[2] accidentally dropped a bomb on the Russian city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine. The Russian authorities acknowledged the fact of the bombing, declaring the destruction in the city and the injury of three people.[3][4][5][6]

Background

Bordering Ukraine, the Belgorod Oblast and its administrative center Belgorod have been subject to several shellings since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.[7][5] Russian military jets regularly fly over Belgorod on their way to Ukraine.[8]

The authorities of the Russian regions bordering Ukraine – Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk Oblasts – regularly report shelling, as a result of which there is destruction and casualties. Regional authorities claim that the attacks are carried out from the Ukrainian side. The Ukrainian authorities have not responded to these claims.[9][10]

Incident

A video from a surveillance camera has appeared on Russian Telegram channels, which allegedly shows the moment of the explosion in Belgorod. In black and white footage, a whistle-like sound is heard first, followed by silence. The bomb landed at an intersection of two roads not far from the city centre and next to residential buildings.[8] A few seconds later there is a loud explosion. According to assumptions, the explosive device was first buried in the ground and only then exploded.[9]

According to Ministry of Defence, "At around 22:15 Moscow time on 20 April, when a Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordnance occurred".[3][11] The MoD statement did not say what kind of bomb fell on the city.[12]

The Governor of the Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov said earlier in Telegram that an explosion occurred in the city center, a crater with a diameter of 20 meters formed, several cars and buildings were damaged.[3]

Damage and injuries

The bomb explosion created a large crater with a diameter of 40 meters (130 feet). Photos and videos posted online show piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and buildings. One image shows a car on top of a Pyaterochka supermarket.[12][9]

The next day, Vyacheslav Gladkov reported three people wounded in the explosion of a dropped bomb, though their injuries were not life-threatening.[3] Gladkov said "Thank God, there are no dead" in a Telegram statement, adding that the apartment building was evacuated at night.[12]

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said several apartments were damaged in the explosion, and their residents temporarily placed in hotels.[13]

Afterwards, another explosive was found in the same neighbourhood, prompting the evacuation of 3,000 residents from 17 apartment buildings until it was removed and detonated.[14][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.gazeta.ru/social/photo/posledstviya-vzryva-v-belgorode.shtml Повреждены дома, трое раненых: последствия взрыва в Белгороде
  2. ↑ "Russia's SU-32/34 Long-Range Strike Fighters". Defense Industry Daily. 2014-06-11. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Preussen, Wilhelmine (2023-04-21). "Russia accidentally bombs its own city". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  4. ↑ "Blast Rocks Russian City as Fighter Jet Loses Ammunition". The Moscow Times. 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  5. 1 2 Middleton, Joe; Belam, Martin; Sullivan, Helen; Belam, Martin; Sullivan, Helen; Middleton, Joe (2023-04-21). "Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow accidentally bombs own city of Belgorod". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  6. ↑ Lendon, Brad; Pennington, Josh; Butenko, Victoria; Gigova, Radina (2023-04-21). "Russian jet drops bomb on Russian city of Belgorod, state media says". CNN. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  7. ↑ Sauer, Pjotr (2022-05-19). "'Now we get hit too': Belgorod, the Russian city on the Ukraine frontline". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  8. 1 2 Rosenberg, Steve (2023-04-20). "Ukraine war: Russian warplane accidentally bombs own city". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  9. 1 2 3 "На Белгород упала авиабомба с российского самолёта". Радио Свобода (in Russian). 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  10. ↑ "На Белгород упала авиабомба с российского самолёта". ГОЛОС АМЕРИКИ (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  11. ↑ "Emergency release of air ordnance occurred during Su-34 flight above Belgorod — ministry". TASS. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  12. 1 2 3 "Russia accidentally bombs own city near Ukraine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  13. ↑ Teslova, Elena (2023-04-21). "3 injured in accidental ammunition drop in Russia's city of Belgorod". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  14. ↑ "After Russia bombs own city, explosive found at same site". AP NEWS. 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  15. ↑ Fowler, Sarah (2023-04-22). "Russia's Belgorod sees mass evacuations over undetonated bomb". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
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